I think it was Barbie who said, “Math is hard.” (That is before she became enlightened.)
If you are just out of school, you probably remember math. For those of us who have been out of school for a while, math is a distant (good or bad) memory unless we have chosen an occupation where you need it. I never needed it in any job, but I liked math in high school. I got through calculus and did pretty well. But I stayed as far away from the sciences as I could in college. I needed a couple of courses as requirements so I took nutrition and astronomy. I might have dropped astronomy because I was failing for the first time in my academic life. Who knew it was a difficult math course? Maybe I got it confused with astrology (LOL)
Thanks to my friend Don Grohman (who is a math and science person and former teacher) for much of the information in this post. (And please excuse the errant quotation marks. I copied and pasted and cannot seem to get rid of them.)
Diane says
Math really is a different language! I, an English major and then teacher, got as far as calculus and barely passed that. (Remember the movie “Stand and Deliver” about Jaime Escalante? I loved his accent when he, via actor Edward James Olmos, pronounced calculus as “cal-coo-lus.”)
I am forwarding this blog to my friend who, as a former math teacher, likely will also enjoy this. I plan to test her on the “weird math terms.”
LOL-ed at the last paragraph.
Arlene Miller says
I am another English major and then teacher (with a few things in between) – I don’t remember much about some of those terms, but I did like math I thought about teaching mat until how I realized how little I remembered!
Diane says
During my middle school teaching days, the only part of English I wanted to teach was grammar and punctuation, but that wasn’t possible, and I understood. Therefore, I taught health ed, my minor, throughout my 20+ years in education. During that time, I earned an additional special credential to teach a basic and practical math course. For example, the curriculum included how to write checks and keep track in the checkbook register. I guess that would be outdated today, and more practical would be how to use a credit or debit card and check the monthly statements.
As it sounds like is the case with you, the “non-weird” math terms are familiar (except for “fractal,” which I think is a weird math term). Also, you mentioned you did a few things between college and teaching. In my case, I did one other thing when I left teaching; I became a legal assistant. That allowed me to proofread and correct the punctuation and grammar in my attorneys’ work product. That was close to what I wanted to do in teaching, so I was fortunate to have both professions.
Arlene Miller says
I taught a lot of grammar and punctuation, but fortunately the administration never visited my classroom to see what I was doing! I guess they were afraid. I did a bunch of things between college and teaching, as it was a gap of about 25 years. I was a technical writer technical editor, editing supervisor, freelance editor, tap dance teacher and performer, and stay-at-home mom. I got to teaching out of desperation for work after my divorce. All I ever wanted to do was to be in the music business — and that desire has never left me. It is now stronger than ever.
Diane says
You wrote: “All I ever wanted to do was to be in the music business — and that desire has never left me. It is now stronger than ever.”
Then you MUST do this, Arlene! Find a way and go for it!
Arlene Miller says
Sort of working on it!
Don Grohman says
Thanks so much Arlene!
Arlene Miller says
Thank YOU!